Top 20 Entry-Level Job Interview Questions and Answers

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The Core 5 Interview Questions

You’re guaranteed to get asked these questions.

1. Tell me about yourself.

This question is often used to break the ice and see how personable you can be. Be
careful not to drone on endlessly for this question. It’s easy to get caught up in your
back story and lose track of time. A safe answer is to give a brief overview that covers
where you grew up, where you went to school, why you chose your major, any
internship experience you have, and why you’re applying for this job.

2. What are your strengths? Your weaknesses?

To answer this question you need to do some introspection. Ask your friends, family,
and any previous coworkers what they how they view your strengths and weaknesses.
Prepare to discuss at least 3 strengths and 3 weaknesses. Stay away from clichés like
“perfectionist” and “workaholic” as they can be interpreted as weaknesses. Own up to
your faults. Everyone has them. Just be honest and open to improving yourself.

3. Give me an example or a situation in which…

These questions are not only used to determine what you learned from a particular
experience, but also to assess how you would respond to potential workplace
scenarios and situations. Prepare to talk about 3 scenarios in which you faced conflict
or difficulty in either work or school, had difficulty with either a supervisor or peer, and
a leadership opportunity or a project you are particularly proud of.

4. Tell me about this (class / internship) I see on your resume?

The good news here is that nobody knows and understands your experiences better
than you, so you should be confident for this question. This is a great opportunity for
you to sell yourself. A good framework for your answers is to explain the goals for any
class or internship, cover your personal responsibilities in any projects, and discuss
the outcomes. Again, avoid droning on for too long about any particular experience
and wrap things up concisely.

5. What are your longer-term career goals (or where do you see yourself in 5
or 10 years)?

There is no “right answer” to this question and it’s certainly ok to say that you don’t
have any. However, be prepared to explain why you don’t have any. One solid strategy
is to downplay your career goals and aspirations (you are young after all) and play up
your interest in the company and industry of the job you’re applying for. Showcase
your passion to be a part of whatever it is they are doing.
Entry-Level Specific Interview Questions

Questions specific to the nature of entry-level jobs.

1. Why are you interested in this role?

Stating a clear and concise answer here is crucial. The employer is looking to see that
you are interested and ready to invest your time into such an opportunity. Be specific
about your goals and expectations, discuss how you believe your qualifications are in-
line with those required of the position, and be ready to explain why you chose this
particular company when applying.

2. What do you know about our company?

Researching the company or organization you are applying to is an integral part of the
application process, and this question is an evaluation of whether or not you have
already done such an essential task. Prepare to answer questions regarding the
origins of the company/organization, their current activities, and their objectives for
the future.

Failing to have any knowledge of the company/organization you are applying for will
appear to be indicative of a lack of interest or commitment to the application, and to
the position itself, whether or not that was your actual intention.

3. How has your internship experience prepared you for the position you’re
applying to?

If you don’t have internship experience, feel free to skip this one, as they probably
won’t ask it. Otherwise, if your internship experience was directly relevant to the
current role you’re applying for (i.e. the same general work), your answer should focus
on the specifics of the internship work. Otherwise, it’s wise to focus on any experience
you had working on a team, meeting deadlines, and communicating effectively.

4. What classwork has best prepared you for this role?

If you have group project experience, highlight it now. Focus on your role on a team
and how you know how to be a team player. If there are classes with specific
knowledge that directly prepared you for this role, you’re in luck, that’s another easy
answer to this question.

5. How would you assess your writing and communication skills?

This is not a question that mid or senior-level applicants ever get asked. Writing and
communication in school is very different from that in the professional world and the
employer is checking to make sure you know the difference. If you’ve had experience
communicating with full-time employees in your internship, let them know. Otherwise,
hammer home the point that you know how to write clearly, concisely, and
respectfully.
Academic or Interest-Related Interview Questions

Questions to assess your passion and motivation.

1. Why did you choose the major that you did?

You probably didn’t make a snap decision to major in your major. You likely chose it
because you found it interesting, challenging, or thought it would lead to a promising
career. The only key to answering this question is knowing why you chose your major
and communicating that reasoning clearly. Be honest, even if your reasoning doesn’t
seem interesting. It’s better to be honest to yourself and the employer up front than
attempt to tell them what you think they want to hear.

2. What were some of your favorite/least favorite classes? Why?

Don’t just give a list of your classes or answer with something generic about how you
liked all of them. Be opinionated here and honest. Try and stick to classes you enjoyed
because they were stimulating or challenging and avoid saying that you enjoyed a
class because it was easy or because you did well in it. The employer wants to see
what piques your interest in your measure. They’re evaluating your ability to be
genuine and passionate about things.

3. What activities do you do outside of work or school?

Employers like to see that you are engaged in other activities that are either indirectly
or directly related to the skills required for the position you are applying for, but it isn’t
a necessity. The most important part of this question is to be able to demonstrate that
you have a life outside of work, and are invested in and passionate about
experiencing new things.

4. How would your past professors or managers describe you?

It’s best to start answering this question with a clarification that you can’t known for
certain how they would describe you. Start broad and cover as a whole how you think
your previous supervisors or professors have viewed you. This is similar to the
strengths and weaknesses question. Then, once you’ve stated broadly how you think
you’re viewed, give a few specific examples. It’s best if you can demonstrate through
examples (e.g. projects) why a professor or previous manager would say these things.

5. Have you worked any part-time jobs?

Part-time jobs are a major advantage when applying for a job. Over 80% of students
have worked a part-time job by the time they graduate. It’s been shown again and
again that students with part-time work experience do better in the work place. If you
have some part-time job experience, highlight it here. One way to nail this question
would be to talk about learning to work on a team, in a professional environment, and
communicate with fellow employees. If you don’t have experience, a simple ‘no’ will
do here.
Situational Interview Questions

Questions about your past behavior in certain situations to see how you react and
learn from previous experiences.

1. Give me an example of a time in which you handled a looming deadline.

How well do you perform under pressure? That’s what the employer is trying to
understand. Don’t be afraid to show your weakness here. This, like most situational
questions, is trying to get at what you learned or took away from a past situation.
Admit your weaknesses and how you’d handle them differently. Then highlight your
strengths. Fortunately, you’ve probably had lots of recent experience with tight
deadlines in your classes.

2. Give me an example of a time when you worked on a team. What was your
role?

Your ability to collaborate and communicate with a team are probably the most
important professional soft skills that you can have. Prepare for this by having some
specific examples ready from when you worked on a group project. You don’t have to
choose a group project where you were the team lead. What’s more important is that
you knew your role on a team and that you performed well in your role. If that was a
leadership role, great. If not, no worries. If you have examples of how you established
or tweaked processes or mediated conflict within the team, use them.

3. Describe a situation where you taught a concept to a co-worker or

You’ve just spent a lot of time learning from professors and in groups, so you might
not think of yourself as a teacher. However, the more knowledge you accumulate, the
more likely it is that you’ll be teaching things in the future. It’s best to be specific if
you can, and focus on an example from a group project at school or in a previous job.
Focus primarily on how you communicated with the person and ensured that they
were learning. Don’t focus so much on what you taught them, but rather on how you
taught them.

4. Describe a time where you disagreed with a coworker or teammate on a

Disagreement is natural. The employer isn’t trying to assess your ability to debate, or
even to know whether you’re right or wrong. What they want to know is at the end of
the day, can you reach a consensus and move forward. Disagreement is good as long
as it doesn’t prevent good work and progress from being made. Being able to resolve
differences and move forward is a critical skill that all employers are looking for.

5. Describe a situation in which someone critiqued your work. How did you
respond?

You’re (hopefully) going to get lots of feedback in any new job. How you take that
feedback and what you do with it will often determine whether or not you keep the
job. If you’re not willing to listen to feedback (even if you think it’s wrong) and attempt
to address concerns, you likely won’t do well in many professional environments. To
answer this question, try and find a situation where someone not only critiqued you,
but a situation where you disagreed with that critique. Attempt to demonstrate how
you still listened to the critique, voiced your own opinion, and did your best to
understand where the critiquer was coming from. Show that you have the capacity to
listen and change your behavior.